


Varigo One Shots

by pride_frog



Category: Varian and the seven kingsoms, tangled the series
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:33:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26907433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pride_frog/pseuds/pride_frog
Summary: Whatever I wrote for varigo appreciation week, plus any other varigo one shots I come up with.
Relationships: varian/hugo
Comments: 3
Kudos: 41





	1. First Kiss

Varian squeezed his boyfriend’s hand as they walked up the hill. He had discovered years ago that it was one of the best places to watch the lanterns that got released on Rapunzel’s birthday. Now that she was reunited with her parents, they were a celebration of the princess’ return.  
“Did we really have to come all the way up here? The palace roof would have had just as good a view,” Hugo grumbled.  
“Yes, I know, but this is where I’ve been watching the lanterns my entire life. Now hurry up or we’ll miss it!” Varian walked ahead, tugging on his boyfriend’s hand. A smile crept onto his lips as he looked at the raven-haired boy in front of him.  
They got to the top of the hill and Varian sat down, pulling Hugo with him. Hugo leaned back, using his hands as support, and Varian snuggled into his chest. Just then, the first lantern was released, and soon the sky was filled with hundreds of the golden lights.  
It was breathtaking.  
The light of the lanterns reflected off the ocean below them and illuminated everything.  
“Was it worth the walk?”  
“Definitely,” Hugo breathed. He looked down at his boyfriend and noted the way the lanterns made his eyes shine. He saw Varian’s eyes flick down to his lips, then back up to his eyes. Hugo cupped his cheek, and closed the distance between them. His free hand snaked around Varian’s waist as Varian wrapped his around his neck. Hugo pulled away first, wanting to look into those shining eyes again. Varian’s top teeth jutted out a tiny bit as he smiled, and his cheeks were red. He looked absolutely adorable in the golden light. Hugo could feel himself grinning, and couldn’t stop the next worst that slipped out of his mouth.  
“I love you, Varian.” His blue eyes widened slightly.  
“I love you too, Hugo.” As their lips met again, Hugo decided that maybe working with a team wasn’t so bad, as long as that them had Varian in it.


	2. Betrayal/ Posession

Hugo grunted as he was thrown against the wall, the man he loved looming over him-or rather, Varian’s body was standing above him. The thing inside of it was nothing close to the sweet, kind-hearted, funny man he had grown to love over the past year and a half.  
“Goggles, please! I know that you’re in there.” Hugo’s pleas fell on deaf ears, which was clear when ‘Varian’ shot electricity at him again. A cackle filled the library as he rolled out of the way and jumped up, grabbing an alchemy bomb from his pocket.  
“What, am I not good enough for you? That’s to be expected. I was never good enough for Donella, either.” Hugo’s eyes widened at the mention of his former mentor.  
“How do you-“ he was cut off by another burst of electricity.  
“She never told you about me? Why am I not surprised?” The shadow of a woman appeared behind and above Varian. Her hair and dress danced around her in a wind Hugo couldn’t feel. And when he saw her, Varian’s eyes went from a bright, piercing green back to blue.  
Hugo had never been so glad to see someone’s eyes in his entire life.  
“Goggles! Who is she? Whats going on?” Varian avoided his gaze, staring at the ground instead. The woman laughed.  
“Why dear, I’m his mother. And Donella’s research partner. Well, ex-partner now. And this boy is going to get me out of this prison.” Her voice was sickeningly sweet until the last word, which she spat out like poison.  
“He’s your son! You can’t just possess him for the rest of his life!” Hugo cried.  
“Hugo…I told her she could.” Varian finally met his eyes, and they were filled with regret.  
“What?”  
“She said...she said that we could accomplish amazing things together. She told me that she couldn’t leave and I let her possess me to get out. I thought I could trust her. I’m sorry.” A sob escaped his lips as he fell to his knees.Hugo reached out to put his hand on Varian’s shoulder, to comfort him, to do anything, but the younger shed away from his touch.  
“Varian-“  
“Well, as touching as this is, I’ve got a library to escape.” Her face split into an unnaturally wide grin as she dove into Varian’s back. He screamed when she touched him, and when he spoke, his voice was full of panic.  
“Hugo, you need to leave. Get out of here, it’s not safe anymore.”  
“I’m not leaving you, Goggles. We’ll get out of this together.” Varian’s eyes flickered to green, then back to blue.  
“Run. I’ll hold her off, but-“ Hugo was suddenly looking into green eyes, and ‘Varian’ jumped forward, arms outstretched, a malicious look in their eyes. Hugo shrieked, ducking away. He started running through the maze of a library, and eventually hid behind a bookshelf, trying to catch his breath. His heart was beating so fast that he thought it might jump out of his chest. He put a hand over it, trying to slow it down.  
“Hugo, where’d you go. I thought friends didn’t run from friends.” Hugo choked back a sob. The voice sounded like Varian, but with another one layered under it. It was unnatural and terrifying. “Hugooooooo,” The Voice sang. It sounded far too close for comfort.  
“Found you.” His head shot up as Varian launched towards him, and Hugo let out a squeak as he got pinned to the bookshelf. He squirmed out of Varian’s grasp and grabbed a book, hitting him over the head with it. Hugo dropped the book, catching Varian as he crumpled to the floor.  
“Shit, Goggles, I’m sorry. Please wake up. Please.” Hugo let his tears fall freely at this point. He didn’t notice when the apparition of the woman reappeared, hovering unsurely beside the two men. Hugo pressed their foreheads together, sobs wracking his whole body. The woman shifted uncomfortably before speaking.  
“I’m sorry.” Hugo looked up at her. He was suprised to find that he was more mad at himself than anything else.  
“What?” He asked, blinking away tears. The woman looked at him sadly.  
“You love him, don’t you?” Hugo nodded hesitantly.  
“Take care of him for me.” With that, she disappeared back into the maze of books. Hugo looked back down at the man he was holding in his lap. Varian’s eyes started to flutter open, and Hugo cupped his cheek, his tears stopping.  
“Hey. Sorry about that, I just kinda-“ He was cut off as Varian launched himself into his arms, starting to cry. He muttered a few things that Hugo couldn’t catch, but he did hear the last part.  
“It was so scary.”  
“Hey, it’s alright. You’re ok now. Everything’s gunna be ok.” Hugo let Varian cry into his shoulder while he rubbed circles with his finger on the raven-haired boy’s back, whispering reassurances into his ear. Varian pulled away eventually, wiping his face dry.  
“Sorry, sorry. I just- sorry.”  
“Hey, no, It’s fine. You don’t need to apologize for anything.”  
“But I hurt you.” Varian reached for a cut on Hugo’s arm but pulled his hand away, holding it to his chest. “And I yelled at you. I-I told you I never wanted to see you again.” He looked up at Hugo, his blue eyes wide.  
“It’s fine, Hairstripe. As long as you’re ok, that’s all that matters.” Varian cupped his cheek, smiling.  
“I love you.” The words came out as a whisper, barely loud enough for Hugo to hear. He heard them, though, and his heart melted.  
“I love you too.” Varian allowed Hugo to pull him back into his lap, arms wrapped around him. Varian hugged the older man back, not wanting to let go, not wanting to leave his side.  
Hugo took a deep breath and decided to ask Varian something he had been wanting to ask for months.  
“Varian, will you be my boyfriend?”  
“I never thought you’d ask. Yes. Yes, yes, yes.” They stayed like that for a while, holding each other as tightly as they could, neither wanting to let go.  
When they went back to Yong and Nuru they did so hand in hand, ready to face whatever came next together.


	3. Free day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short varigo wedding cause why not?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've skipped so many days. I've been trying to adjust to a lot, but I couldn't pass up the chance to see these two get married.

Varian stood in front of the mirror as he fixed his jacket. This was the one day he didn’t mind wearing formalwear, but it was solely because of the occasion. He looked at the reflection of the blonde man in the mirror behind him. Hugo was putting on his own jacket, his green instead of Varian’s blue. Hugo met Varian’s eyes in the mirror and walked over to him, wrapping his arms around his soon-to-be-husband’s waist.  
“You excited, Hairstripe?” He murmured, resting his head on Varian’s shoulder.  
“Of course I’m excited. I’m spending the rest of my life with you, how could I not be?” Hugo gave Varian a kiss on the cheek before responding.  
“The question is, can you go another hour without your ring?” Varian looked down at his hand, which was bare for the first time in months. He usually twisted his ring when he got excited or nervous, and had to settle with playing with his nails for the day. So far, the nails on his pointer finger, middle finger, and ring finger were shorter than the rest, a result of the stress of the day.  
“Yeah. An hour will be worth it in the end.” Varian leaned back against Hugo, putting his arms over his. They stood like that for a few minutes, before there was a knock on the door.  
“Varian, Hugo? Are you guys almost ready?” Nuru’s voice rang through the door.  
“Yeah, we're ready,” Hugo called back. He pulled away from Varian before he stepped over to the door and opened it. Nuru was standing there, wearing a flowing, deep purple dress. The skirt was long, almost reaching the ground. There were small silver stars covering the belt, and there was a matching one hanging on a chain around her neck.  
“Finally. Are the two of you trying to be late to your own wedding?” She started down the hallway of the inn, and Hugo grabbed Varian’s hand and gave it a squeeze before following her. Ruddiger, who had been sleeping until then, scampered after them, and Varian held the door open for the raccoon.  
There were two carriages waiting outside. One was for Hugo, Varian, Nuru, Yong, and Quirin, and the other was for Lance, Kiera, Catalina, Eugene, and Rapunzel. Quirin, Eugene, and Rapunzel were already sitting at the front, ready to leave. Nuru, Varian, and Hugo got into the carriage that Quirin was leading. He smiled at his son as he passed, Varian smiling back. Yong was already inside, practically vibrating with excitement. Hugo wrapped his arm around his fiancé as soon as they sat down, and Varian cuddled into him, resting his head on his shoulder. Ruddiger jumped into Varian’s lap, demanding attention. They stayed like that the whole ride to the hill, Yong chatting their ears off the whole time. By the time they got there, there was only a half hour until the wedding started.  
There was a tent on the hill where Varian and Hugo met with the officiant to review their vows for the last time. When they were done with that, the officiant left, and they sat in the tent, talking, until they heard their cue. As they stepped out of the tent, Hugo offered Varian his arm, and he took it. They walked down the aisle together, and when they reached the end, their hands became intertwined, hanging between them. They missed the speech by the officiant, pulling away from each other only for the rings and the vows.  
“You may now kiss the groom.” And with that, they were married.  
———  
They fell into the bed in their inn well past midnight. They were exhausted, as the celebrations had lasted for the better part of eight hours. Adira and Hector showed up minutes before the celebrations started, salty that they had been so late. Hector had run off with the girls at some point, Quirin sprinting after them. Cassandra appeared out of nowhere and was there for a few hours, before disappearing again. Her and Nuru had spent a while talking, but nobody knew what about. Lance and Eugene had Yong show them something, and nearly set a nearby tree on fire. Ruddiger scampered around happily, collecting attention and food as he did so.  
The wedding was small and chaotic, but it was perfect.  
Varian and Hugo fell asleep in each other’s arms in the too-small bed, happy to be together and content with life. After all, they had each other. How bad could things get?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for suicide. Please don't read if that's triggering for you.

It had been a year since Varian had died. One year of pain, of trying to cope and failing. One year that Hugo had spent without the love of his life.  
It was the worst year of his life.  
He thought back on the day it all happened as he sat on the ground, staring at the piece of paper that laid in front of him as he zoned out.  
He had woken up to a panicked call from Quirin, saying that he had found Varian dead, an empty bottle of pills laying next to him. He had agreed to go to Quirin’s house, calling Nuru on the way. He remembered how shocked she had been, and how guilty she still felt about it. About how she couldn't save him.   
Quirin handed him the note as soon as he walked in the door. His red eyes and tear stained face were things Hugo had never seen before.  
“I wanted you to be the first to read it. I know how much you love him. I’m sorry.” Quirin spoke quietly as he handed the letter to Hugo. He unfolded it with shaking hands.  
‘I’m sorry. I know that you all think that I’m ok. I know that you all think that I’m recovering, but I’m not. I can’t deal with this anymore. I can’t deal with the guilt. I know that he’s back, but the nightmares never leave me. The flashbacks never leave me. It’s getting too hard to deal with.  
Hugo, I love you with all my heart. You were the love of my life, and I don’t regret anything.   
Nuru, thank you for everything. I know that you tried to help. This isn’t your fault.  
Yong, never let anyone underestimate you. I know that you’ll do amazing things.  
Rapunzel and Eugene, thank you for being such good friends. I’m glad we met.  
Dad, I’m sorry. I know that I’m not the son you wanted. I know that I hurt you, and I know that I can’t fix what I’ve done. I tried to make you proud, but I failed.  
Varian’  
Tears clouded his vision and he held the letter to his chest, looking up at Quirin. He held his arms out, and Hugo ducked into them, getting engulfed by the larger man. Sobs wracked his body as he thought of Varian, of how tearable he had to feel to do this. He wished that he had seen the signs earlier. He wished that he had been there for Varian more, that he could have protected him better.   
“Where is he?”  
“His bedroom. You can talk to him, if you’d like.” Hugo nodded, wiping his eyes. He walked up the stairs, wishing, hoping, praying that it wasn't true. His heart sank as he opened the door. He made his way over to his boyfriend, who was too pale and too cold to still be living. Hugo sat down, leaning against the side of the bed, pulling Varian’s arm down to wrap around him. He started crying again, thinking back on the nights where he fell asleep with Varian in his arms. He had taken those moments for granted. He had never fully appreciated them. Now that he knew that he could never take Varian to the lake again, never see the stars in his eyes again, never sneak kisses from him during get-togethers when nobody was looking. Only now did he realize how much he truly needed Varian.  
After everybody else read the letter, Quirin let Hugo keep it. He slipped it in with the framed drawing he had of himself and Varian. Rapunzel had given it to him for their one year anniversary. It used to bring him joy, seeing him and the man he loved together, happy, but now that he was gone, it was just painful.  
\-------  
Hugo read Varian’s letter once more, a pang of guilt hitting him. He knew that Quirin thought that Varian was perfect, he just never knew how to express it. He never knew the proper way to support his son. He looked up at the moonlight that streamed in through the window, reminded of all the times he had danced with Varian in this very same room, under that very same light, and he was glad that he was finally joining him. He looked at the bottle of pills that he held in his hand, hesitating for a moment before taking them. His last thought was of Varian, and how happy he was to finally be with him again.   
\-------  
Snow crunched under Nuru’s feet as she made her way to Hugo and Varian’s gravestones. They were close, only a few steps away from each other, as Quirin and Donella both knew that that was what the young men would have wanted.   
It had been six months since Hugo had died. She had struggled, of course she had. She still was. She thought of Yong as she walked, of Quirin and Donella, who were all suffering just as she was. There was a messed up sense of comfort in knowing that she was not alone, in knowing that there were others that felt the same that she did.   
Finally getting to the graves of two of her best friends, she sat down in between the headstones, just as she had every saturday since Varian was buried. She always came in the evening, sometimes at night. She talked, and if she listened close enough, she could hear the distant laughter of the two men, happy, and together again at last.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write fluff, so I did. Don't get used to it. The next chapter of Trials of Corona is going to be pretty heavy. Anyways, enjoy!

Hugo felt a weight on his chest when he woke up. When he looked down, Varian’s head was resting there. He smiled, pulling the other man closer and placing a kiss to the top of his head.  
It had been one year since they had gotten married. One year since the best day of his life. Hugo pulled his husband a little closer as he thought about it, a small smile working its way onto his face.  
He remembered feeling the tears in his eyes as he watched Varian walk down the aisle, because somehow he was lucky enough to have the most amazing man in the world as his husband. Eugene wouldn’t admit it afterwords, but he was crying through the entire ceremony, although so were Cyrus and Quirin. Rapunzel had officiated the ceremony, practically vibrating with excitement the entire time. Hugo remembered the afterparty, and how it stretched late into the night. It was an evening full of laughter and joy. That first dance he shared with Varian had felt magical.  
A small stirring from the man next to him free him out of his thoughts. Varian looked up at him, a small smile on his face.  
“Good morning, Hairstripe.”  
“Good morning.” Varian pressed a light kiss to the underside of his chin before snuggling a little closer. “Happy anniversary.”  
“Happy anniversary.” Varian tilted his head, pressing a kiss to Hugo’s lips. Hugo cupped his face and let himself enjoy it for a moment before pulling away. He knew he’d never get tired of this, of these quiet moments in the morning when it was just him and Varian. “You’re beautiful.”  
“I know. You tell me every day,” Varian responded.  
“Because I don’t want you to forget.” Hugo kissed the tip of Varian’s nose, earning a quiet giggle from him.  
“Trust me, I won’t.” He pressed his forehead to Hugo’s as the blonde pulled him closer. “I love you.”  
“I love you, too.” Hugo started showering the other with kisses all over his face. He kissed each freckle he possibly could, then moved onto his nose, his forehead, and his chin. He pressed the final kiss against Varian’s lips, the other laughing lightly.  
“You’re the light of my life. I can’t imagine what I’d do without you.”  
“I know. You announce your undying love for me at least twice a day.”  
“Can you blame me? I’m married to the sweetest, funniest, most beautiful, most amazing man on earth.”  
“I thought that I was married to the most amazing man on earth.”  
“Nope. You’re married to the second most amazing man on earth.”  
“Agree to disagree,” Varian said, placing a kiss to Hugo’s nose.  
“Alright. Agree to disagree.” Hugo felt his heart melt a little at the smile Varian gave him. Hugo gave him another kiss, pulling away after a moment.  
“I love you so much, Varian. More than you’ll ever know.”  
“I love you too, Hugo.”  
They stayed in bed for a few more hours, cuddling and talking. At that moment, they were all they needed. They had each other, and that was all that mattered.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this starts weird. I've had this fic in mind for a while, but I couldn't figure out how to start it off well. Anyways, please take this childhood friends to lovers au while I go back to my little gay void. Enjoy!

Quirin stood outside of his son’s room, hesitating. He would know something was wrong eventually. The question was just a matter of when. He knocked.  
“Varian? Can I come in?”   
“Yeah.” Quirin opened the door. Varian was sitting at his desk, reading. Books and toys were strewn all around the room, a few pathways cleared out from them.   
“Varian, there’s something I need to tell you.” The young boy looked up at his father’s tone, setting down his book.   
“What is it?”   
“Your mother, she… she died. On her way home from work today, she got into a car crash, and… I’m sorry.” Varian looked heartbroken, tears welling up in his eyes. He dashed across the room and got scooped into a hug by Quirin. He started crying into the mans arms. Quirin sat down, pulling his son into his lap.   
———  
Varian cried for the entirety of Ulla’s funeral. Quirin stood next to him, trying to stay strong, but he knew it wasn’t working. That was the only day he ever saw Donella cry. It was slightly terrifying, especially considering how well she usually hid her emotions.   
After the ceremony, Hugo and Donella joined Quirin and Varian at their house. The two boys went up to Varian’s room, and Donella and Quirin stayed downstairs, talking.   
“Here. Ulla left this at my house yesterday, but I figured you’d want it.” Quirin took the journal that the woman was holding out. “It’s all of her research.”  
“Thank you, Donella. This means a lot.” Quirin flipped open the book, looking at the pages upon pages filled with his wife’s handwriting.   
Throughout the book, there were little doodles of him and Varian and Donella and Hugo. He paused at one about halfway through. It took up the entire page. Quirin and Donella were sitting under a tree, smiling as Varian and Hugo chased each other around. Quirin ran his thumb over his son’s smiling face.   
“What’s going to happen with the boys?” He asked. “I know we were never that close, but I still want them to see each other.”  
“I’ve been thinking about that, too. They need each other. I think that they should still have the chance to see each other.” Quirin nodded.   
“We should try to see if they can be together at least once a week. Probably more during school breaks.”  
“I agree.”  
———  
Varian was crying. Of course he was. He was a six-year-old who had just lost his mother, although that was never easy. Hugo was hugging him, and he was clinging onto the older boy.   
“I’m sorry, Vari.” Varian sniffled, pulling away to wipe the tears from his eyes.   
“It’s ok. I’ll- I’ll be fine.”  
“I know. But it still hurts, right?”  
“It’ll hurt less over time. That’s what Daddy told me.”   
“Until then, I’m here if you ever need a hug. Even after then.” Varian smiled at the other boy, leaning in for another hug.  
“Thanks.”  
“Of course.”   
———   
Lately, Varian had been feeling… different about Hugo. Not a bad different, they were still best friends. They had known each other for their entire lives, and they were both 18. They had been there for each other for everything. That was why Varian’s new feelings were so strange. His heart seemed to leap when Hugo texted him, or when his touch lingered for a little too long. Varian didn’t really know to react whenever this happened, so he’d just freeze up.   
He hated it. He hated these feelings, because they could hurt their relationship. That was the last thing Varian wanted.   
“Earth to Hairstripe!” Varian blinked, and Hugo was in front of him. “You weren’t responding to me. You good?” His voice was light, but Varian could see concern in his eyes.  
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Just zoned out, I guess.” Hugo hummed in response before laying down with his head in Varian’s lap, hands folded over his stomach.   
“Do you remember our plan? The one where we’re going to get an apartment together?” Hugo turned his head to look at Varian, who was propped up on his elbows.  
“Yeah, that’s still happening.” They sat in silence for a moment before Hugo spoke again.   
“Do you remember when we first came up with that plan?”  
“Yeah. We were nine and having a sleepover here and you said we should move in together when we got old enough. I’m pretty sure I still have the notebook we drew our dream house in.” Varian smiled at the memory, thinking back on how they sat on his bed, planning the house down to the last detail.   
“That was fun. Crazy to think that it’s been almost ten years since that.”  
“Yeah. Yeah, it is.” Hugo sat up for a moment, looking at Varian. The raven-haired man looked up at him, noticing a light dusting of blush on his cheeks.  
“What?” Hugo shrugged, then readjusted and flopped down on top of Varian. “You’re squishing me,” he whined.  
“Deal with it,” the blonde responded. “I want a hug.”   
“You can just say that and I’ll give you one,” Varian responded as he wrapped his arms around his friend.   
“Where’s the fun in that?”   
“There is none,” Varian sighed.  
“Damn right.” They laid in silence for a few minutes. Sometime during that, Varian had taken the tie out of the Blonde’s hair and started playing with it.   
“Varian. Do you ever want more from life?”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Just… more. A house, a family.”  
“I dunno. I’ve never really thought about it. Why?” Hugo sighed.   
“I just- I’ve been thinking about my future a lot lately.” He pushed himself off of Varian, leaning against the wall instead. The shorter man looked up at him curiously.  
“Whenever I think of my future, I always see you. I see us living together, laughing together, just being together. I’ve never thought about anyone else the same way I think of you.”  
“What are you saying?” Hugo hung his head, his fingers tracing the newly-done braid in his hair.  
“I’m saying that I love you.” He blurted out. “And I don’t mean in a platonic way. I mean that I want to spend my life with you. I want you to always be there and I know that you probably don’t feel the same way, but I had to get that off of my chest.”   
Varian was shocked. ‘Holy shit.’ He thought. ‘He feels the same way.’ Varian sat up next to Hugo, leaning his head on his shoulder and holding onto his hands.   
“You’re wrong. I do feel the same way.”  
“Really?”  
“Yeah. I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t think you felt this way, but I guess I was wrong.” Ve looked up and met Hugo’s eyes, seeing nothing but love in them.  
“I love you.”  
“I love you too, Hugo.” The blonde reached up to cup his cheek, and Varian leaned into his touch.   
“Can I- can I kiss you?” He asked. Varian nodded, already leaning in.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by my half-asleep brain remembering that Hugo and Eugene did a job together at one point. It turned into something else, but that’s in there. Somewhere. I think. Idk, this is a really long chapter

Hugo gripped his boyfriend’s hand as they walked across the bridge to the capitol of Corona. Varian was leading the way, practically vibrating with excitement.   
“Varian, your family knows that we’re coming today, right?” Nuru asked. She was walking behind the two men, trying to keep Yong from running off as he looked around.  
“Ahhh, no. In the last letter I sent them, I said that we’d be here in a few days, but they don’t know that we’re here right now.” As if to prove him wrong, a voice shouted Varian’s name. A burr of purple captured him in a tight hug, pinning his arms to his side.  
“Varian!” Rapunzel said as she pulled away. “I can’t believe you’re back! Everybody is going to be so excited!” Varian grinned at her.  
“I’m excited! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you guys.” Hugo tried to gently pull his hand from Varian’s, wanting to let him have both hands back so he could have a proper reunion with his sister. Instead, Varian squeezed his hand a little tighter, looking at him with a smile. Nuru and Yong had moved to Varian’s other side, and he introduced them.  
“Rapunzel, this is Nuru and Yong,” He turned to his boyfriend. “And this is-“  
“Hey Sunshine. Guard training just ended so I figured I’d come find you.” Eugene walked up to the princess, not noticing the group next to him.   
“Eugene.” Rapunzel nodded in Varian’s direction, and Eugene looked.  
“Hey, Varian! You’re back!” Before Varian could respond, he was being brought into a hug from his brother. This time, he pulled his hand from Hugo’s and hugged back.   
“How’re you doing, kid?” Eugene asked. He pulled away and ruffled Varian’s hair. The alchemist pushed him away, laughing.   
“I’m good. I’m happy.” Eugene smiled at him before turning to Varian’s companions.   
As soon as his eyes met Hugo’s nervous face, his smile disappeared. He stood up a little straighter, glaring down at the blonde.  
“Hugo.”   
“Flynn.”  
“It’s Eugene.” Hugo raised an eyebrow.  
“Seriously? You went from Flynn Rider to Eugene?”   
“Yes. Is there a problem with that?” Hugo held his hands up in defeat and took a small step back.  
“No.”   
“Hold on. You two know each other?” Varian asked. He looked between his brother and boyfriend, a confused expression on his face.   
“Yeah,” Hugo said. “We pulled a job together a while ago.” Eugene nodded.  
“Hugo got us thrown into jail.”  
“I did not! You messed with the guards when I specifically told you not to!”  
“You were 14! Did you expect me to listen to you?”  
“Yes!” Hugo threw his hands up as he spoke, bringing them back down to cross his arms and glare at the other man.   
“Ok. Why don’t we take Varian to see everybody else?” Rapunzel asked, turning to Eugene. He sighed, glaring at Hugo for a moment.  
“Yeah, ok.”   
———  
In the two hours it took them to find Lance and the girls, Hugo and Eugene kept glancing at each other, glaring if they caught the other’s eye. After Varian had introduced everyone and began talking to Lance, Eugene took Hugo aside.  
“Ok, look. I can tell that you like him, but I need you to stay away from Varian.”  
“What? No, I’m not-“  
“I don’t want him getting hurt by you. He’s like a brother to me and I don’t like seeing him suffer.” Hugo raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.  
“Yeah, cause you would totally leave your brother on his own for three months and let him slowly drive himself insane.” Eugene’s face paled slightly.  
“How do you-“  
“He told me. About a year ago actually. Snow still gives him nightmares, did you know that?”“It was different back then. We weren’t as close. I’d never do anything like that again.”  
“But you did do it.”  
“I-“  
“What are you guys talking about?” Varian appeared behind Hugo, slipping his hand into his and intertwining their fingers.  
“It’s nothing, Hairstripe,” Hugo said. Varian looked up at him curiously as he started rubbing circles onto his hand with his thumb. Hugo smiled at him, and Varian smiled back, deciding to ignore his feeling of slight unease for the time being.  
“Come on, you didn’t meet Lance yet.” Varian pulled Hugo away from his brother, leaving Eugene seething as he saw their intertwined hands.  
———  
Rapunzel planned a celebratory dinner as quickly as she could to celebrate Varian’s return.  
“We’re only going to be here for a day or two, Rapunzel,” He told her at the dinner. “We still have one more trial to do.”  
“I know, but I figured that you guys would appreciate the dinner. You’ve been traveling for a long time.”  
“True.”   
Varian had been reunited with his father at the dinner, running over to give him a hug. The man practically engulfed Varian, despite how much the alchemist had grown over the past two years. Currently, Varian sat with his father on his left and Hugo on his right. His foot rested against the blonde’s, slightly on top of it. Hugo wanted nothing more than to pull him into a hug and cover his face in kisses, but he knew that he couldn’t. At least not in front of Varian’s family. Later. He could wait until later.   
———  
After Rapunzel showed everyone to their rooms, Nuru and Yong went to theirs, but Hugo was pulled into Varian’s room. After closing the door, Hugo pulled Varian close and kissed him. Varian pulled away after a moment, wrapping his arms around Hugo’s neck and leaning into him. Hugo held onto his waist, a content sigh escaping his lips as they hugged. Hugo leaned down to kiss his boyfriend again, being the first to pull away this time.   
“You’re beautiful,” He whispered, pushing Varian’s bangs out of his face and cupping his cheek.   
“You’re not too bad yourself,” Varian responded, a small smile on his lips. They both leaned in for another kiss, but were interrupted by somebody clearing their throat.   
Eugene stood in the doorway, glaring at Hugo.  
“Varian, Rapunzel wants to talk to you.” The younger alchemist looked between his boyfriend and brother, eventually pulling away from the blonde and mouthing a quick ’sorry’ before leaving the room. Eugene stepped towards Hugo as soon as he did.   
“What the fuck was that?” He hissed.  
“Uh, I was kissing my boyfriend.” Eugene stared at him, looking like he would like to stab the blonde.  
“Boyfriend? How long has that been going on?”  
“A few months.”   
“No. Nope. Nuh-uh. Not happening.” Hugo crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.  
“Why not?”“I don’t want you dating my brother! You’re just going to hurt him.”  
“How do you know that?”  
“You’re a thief and a con man. Hurting people is in your blood. I’ll bet that the only reason you joined him was because you knew you could get money out of this.”   
“Ok, first of all, ouch. Second, I haven’t stolen anything in months. And you hurt people just as much as me, if not more.” Eugene glared at him.   
“Yes, but I changed.”  
“And I can’t?” Hugo sighed, crossing his arms. “You’re being very hypocritical right now. I’m trying to change. I’m trying to be someone that Varian deserves. Trust me, hurting him is the last thing I want.”   
“Fine. But if you hurt him, I will take care of you myself.”  
“Noted.”   
———  
Hugo’s conversation with Eugene flashed in his mind as they approached the cavern with the library in it. He bit his lip nervously, unconsciously squeezing Varian’s hand a little. Varian looked up at him, slowing down so that they fell behind Yong and Nuru.   
“Hey,” Varian said. He stopped and took Hugo’s other hand. “Are you ok?” Hugo nodded.   
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” He glanced at the cavern before looking down and sighing. “Varian, whatever happens in there, I just... I care about you, ok? I really do. I want you to remember that.” Varian furrowed his brows, moving a hand to cup his boyfriend’s cheek. Hugo leaned into the touch and placed his hand over Varian’s. He could feel tears brimming in his eyes, but did the best he could to keep them from falling.   
“Hugo, are you sure that you’re ok?” The blonde nodded. “It’s fine if you’re not.” Hugo shook his head, the tears starting to fall.   
“No,” He whispered. “No, it’s not.” Varian opened his mouth to say something, but didn’t get the chance.   
“Guys, come on!” Nuru shouted. Varian sighed, wiping a few of Hugo’s tears away.   
“I’m here for you, ok? I’m here if you need anything.” Hugo nodded. He pulled away and started walking again, pushing his glasses into his hair to wipe his eyes.   
Once they were in the cavern, Varian pulled out his mother’s journal. He read through it, and after a few minutes, they were standing in front of the portal to the library. Varian turned it on, a smile creeping it’s way onto his face. A few more tears fell out of Hugo’s eyes, and he wiped them away quickly. He knew that today would be the last day he saw that smile. It would probably be the last day he saw Varian. A voice sounded behind the group before anything else could happen.   
“Finally. I was starting to think that you had warned them.” Everyone but Hugo turned around. The blonde wrapped his arms around himself, hanging his head as he started crying again. Varian turned to look at him, pieces falling into place in his mind.   
“Hugo,” He said cautiously. “What’s she talking about?”   
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” Hugo flinched slightly as he heard Donella crossing the cave. She stood behind him, arms tucked behind her back, which was straight as an arrow.   
“Hugo.” He didn’t turn around. She sighed, walking around in front of him. She put a hand on his shoulder, pushing it up so he was standing straight.   
“Do you want to tell them?” He looked up at her for a moment before shaking his head and looking down again.   
“Very well. Hugo has been working for me.” She walked back across the cave as she spoke, stopping and turning around in front of Cyrus. “He took the first totem for me, but once he told me about you, Varian, I told him to infiltrate your group. For the past two years, he’s been spying on you three for me, giving me updates and telling me everything. I thought that he told you three everything by now. He’s never been good with keeping big secrets.” The cave was silent for a moment as Nuru, Yong, and Varian processed what they were just told. Nuru was the first to speak.   
“Is that true? Hugo, is any of that true?” He wiped his tears and finally turned around.   
“Yes. That- that’s how it started, at least.” Everybody looked at him, waiting for him to continue. He sighed and glanced at Varian before looking down. The younger alchemist looked furious and hurt and sad all at the same time.   
“After a while, I didn’t want to do it anymore. I tried leaving Donella, but she wouldn’t let me.”  
“That is true,” The gray haired woman interjected.   
“I wanted to tell you guys, I really-“  
“Then why didn’t you?” Varian asked. Hugo looked up at him, forcing himself to meet his eyes. “Is this what you were talking about outside of the cave? Is this why you didn’t want to come here? Did you think that you could avoid all of this?” Varian’s voice rose to a yell, echoing against the stone walls and through Hugo’s mind. “Did you think that you could avoid hurting us!? Did we ever mean anything to you!?” Varian stepped back, his voice laced with hurt. “Did I ever mean anything to you?” Hugo looked up at him, starting to speak.   
“Of course you did! Varian-“  
“Don’t. You can’t fix this, no matter how hard you try.” He ran into the library, shutting the portal behind him and ignoring Donella’s protests. The portal closed just before she reached it, and her hand grabbed at empty space.   
“Well, shit.”  
———-  
Varian closed the portal and wiped the tears from his eyes.   
Hugo left him. Of course he did. How could anybody ever care about him? He was unloveable, he knew that. Deep down, he always knew that. He had hoped that Hugo had seen something in him, something worth cherishing, something that made him tolerable.   
Varian had been so stupid to think that.   
He made his way into the maze of shelves, listening for the sign of another person.   
“Hello?” He called. Footsteps ran towards him, and he turned around just as a red haired woman turned the corner into the aisle he was stand in.   
“Oh, my god! It’s been so long since I’ve seen another person! Oh, it’s so exciting to meet you! I’m Ulla.” She stuck out a hand for Varian to take. Instead, he stared at her for a moment before lunging forward and pulling her into a hug.   
“Varian. I’m Varian, son of Quirin. You’re my mother.”  
———-  
“It would have been good to know that the library was dangerous BEFORE your dramatic speech! During would have worked, too, just next time, give us a fucking warning!!” Nuru was yelling at Donella, who was surprisingly calm. Hugo was pacing next to the portal, hoping, praying that Varian would be ok, and that they could talk about this. He knew that if they somehow made it through this, he’d be making it up to Varian for the rest of their lives.   
They just had to make it through this first.   
———-  
Varian had entered the library a few hours ago. He never thought that anything could go so wrong in a few hours.   
Everything had started fine, but after a while, his mother had started saying odd things. He brushed them off, telling himself that it was just because she hadn’t been around people in years. Eventually though, he couldn’t even say that.   
“Oh, what I wouldn’t give to go outside again.”  
“Why don’t you?” Varian was looking at a shelf in front of him, and he missed the grin on his mother’s face.   
“Yes. Why don’t I? Without further warning, her body dropped, and her spirit dove into Varian. His body shuttered, and he fell to his knees, holding his head and screwing his eyes shut as he attempted to keep control of his mind.   
When his eyes opened, they glowed a bright green.   
Ulla was free.   
———-  
Hugo pushed against the lever of the portal desperately, attempting to open it.   
“We’ve already tried that a thousand times, genius. It’s not going to work,” Nuru called. She was leaning against the cave wall, Yong pacing near her. Donella was standing near the entrance to the cave, whispering to Cyrus.   
“At least I’m trying to open the portal,” Hugo told her as he stepped back. Nuru rolled her eyes.   
“At least I’m not the reason he’s in there.” Hugo sighed and ran a hand through his hair, turning to her.   
“Look, I get that you’re mad at me right now. I completely understand why. But Varian is in danger, and I’d rather not fight with you until he’s safe, because contrary to what you now believe, I care about him.”  
“Fine. What do you suggest we do?” Hugo turned back to the portal, placing his hand on it.   
“Let me in,” He whispered. “Please, Goggles, let me in.”   
After a moment, the portal opened. Hugo stood frozen in shock for a moment before sprinting in, not noticing that it shut behind him, locking everyone else out.   
———-  
Hugo ran through the library, looking down each aisle he passed.   
“Goggles! Goggles, where are you? I’m sorry! Goggles, where-“ Hugo froze as he spotted Varian, curled up on the ground, holding his head in his hands. Hugo cautiously stepped forward, extending a hand towards Varian.   
“Goggles?” He said quietly. Varian’s head snapped up and he met his eyes. An unnaturally wide smile was plastered onto his face, and his eyes glowed a bright green.   
“Hello. Hugo, correct?” Hugo was too shocked to respond. Varian’s voice was layered with another, more feminine one. Varian stood up, extending a hand out for Hugo to shake.   
“I’m Ulla, Varian’s mother.”  
———-  
Nuru ran to the portal the second she saw Hugo move. It closed just as she reached it, and she almost fell into the empty space. She turned to Donella, who was looking at the portal, an arm stretched out towards it.   
“Well?” Nuru said. “You’re the expert on this. What do we do?” Donella looked at her and shook her head.  
“Nothing. We can’t do anything.”  
———-  
Varian screamed, unsure of wether or not anybody else could hear him. He pounded against the invisible walls of where he was trapped in his own mind.   
He could see everything, but he couldn’t control his body anymore. He was confined to the tiny room that Ulla had shoved him into, forced to watch as she hurt Hugo. His nose was bleeding, and there was a cut on his forehead, but he wouldn’t hit back. Instead, he was talking to Varian, trying to get him back.   
“Varian, please, I know that you’re in there. I know that you don’t want to do this.” Varian screamed again, tears streaming down his face as he pounded on the wall again. “I’m sorry,” Hugo continued. “I never wanted to hurt you. I know that you’re mad at me, and you have every right to be. Just please, come back. We can fix this.” Ulla laughed, her voice echoing through Varian’s head.   
“Fix this? You can’t fix anything.” She punched him, causing him to fall back, clutching at his nose. Tears were falling down his face, leaving streaks in the blood.   
“Varian, please, come back to me. I love you.”   
Ulla threw him back against a shelf, ignoring the pounding of Varian’s screams echoing in her skull. She ran towards the entrance of the library, but before she reached it, something slammed into the back of her head and she fell to the ground, unconscious.   
———-  
Varian’s ears were ringing. He could hear someone speaking, and it took him a moment to process the fact that it was Hugo.   
“Varian, come on, wake up.” He could feel himself being shaken gently, and he forced his eyes open. When they did, Hugo’s face was inches from his, worry fading into joy as he saw Varian wake up.   
“Hey, Goggles. How are you feeling?” Varian groaned and wrapped his arms around Hugo’s neck, pulling himself close to the blonde. Hugo wrapped his arms around Varian’s waist, pulling him onto his lap.   
“I’m sorry,” Hugo whispered. “I’m so, so, so sorry for everything.” Varian was crying again, but they were tears of relief this time.   
“It’s alright.” He pulled out of the hug, cupping Hugo’s face with one of his hands.   
“Are you ok?”   
“Are you- are you not mad at me?” Varian shook his head. “But why? I betrayed you, I hurt you, I-“  
“You saved me.”   
“But-“  
“No. No buts. You’ve apologized about a thousand times and I forgive you. I’m not mad. Now can I kiss you or not?” Varian wiped the tears from the blonde’s face, but they continued to fall as he nodded. Their lips met in a sweet kiss. Varian pulled away first and wiped more tears from the blonde’s face.   
“Just for the record, I love you too,” He whispered. Hugo let out a wet laugh and leaned in for another kiss, which Varian gladly returned.   
“We should probably leave and get you cleaned up,” Varian said after pulling away again. His eyes drifted to the cuts on Hugo’s face and arms, and Hugo nodded. They left the library hand in hand, prepared for whatever came next.


End file.
